Biden's tricked-out bike loaded with extras -- and one caused his fall

2022-07-16 01:55:37 By : Mr. Victor He

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The bicycle that sent President Biden toppling to the asphalt Saturday appears to be a well-worn, Trek FX 1 Disc, a lightweight hybrid bike meant for rides over varied terrain.

A former Trek employee identified the $599.99 model to The Post with “high confidence,” but cautioned “it’s really hard to tell — that thing is ancient.”

Bicycling magazine took a deep-dive look at Biden’s two-wheeler of choice — “a well-loved one from the looks of it” — in 2020, just after he was declared the winner of the presidential election.

At the time, the bike, which appears to be the same one Biden was riding Saturday, had “a Bontrager cockpit, linear pull rim brakes, and a rusty chain well past its prime.”

It was tricked out with a host of accessories, including a wireless computer, a coiled cable lock, a bottle cage, a bento box, and a rear-view mirror attached to the handlebars.

The report took special note of one add-on: the pedals’ toe cages, which Biden, 79, blamed for causing his fall.

“The toe cages on his flat pedals make us feel like when the paparazzi aren’t looking, Biden really likes to rip,” wrote Riley Missel, the magazine’s former editor.

But that same feature, along with the FX’s traditional “diamond” or “step over” frame, can make it hard for less-agile riders to dismount the bike quickly, as Biden attempted to do Saturday, the Trek source said.

“I’d say nothing wrong with riding a bike at his age,” the source said. “But he needs a bike that’s easier to get on and off.”